A new chair has been elected by North Cork Creameries.
Kanturk farmer Gerald Burns will take over from Tomás O’Donoghue, who had informed the co-op that he was stepping down from the position.
While no official announcement of the appointment of Gerald Burns has been made by North Cork Creameries, a text message was sent by the co-op to suppliers informing them of the news on Thursday morning 15 October.
It is understood that Burns, who farms at Ardrahan around three miles outside Kanturk, was brought on to the board and appointed chair at this week’s meeting.
North Cork Creameries has been in difficulty over the last six months following the suspension of its wastewater discharge licence by the Environmental Protection Agency this spring. The milk processor’s licence has since been reinstated.
Stable footing
Despite the recent troubles, sources close to the co-op insisted that the business is now on a more stable footing, given the positive decision on its discharge licence, and North Cork’s ongoing deal with Carbery to process a high proportion of its milk.
In addition, an agreement on banking facilities was recently secured by the co-op.
North Cork Creameries processed 238m litres of milk in 2024; 82m litres of which came from its own suppliers. The co-op employs around 90 staff.
